If you are planning on getting a circumcision then definitly do it when he is born. I wanted it done but it didnt get done(long story).Well my son started having problems and at the age of 7 he had to undergo surgery to be curcumcised.His skin was actually soo tight that it was causing pain and difficulty urinating.So of course I wouldnt let my child go through that. When they are newborns it a little snip in the office or hospital.When they are older its surgery and they have to be put under anasthesia. So if i were to have another boy i would do it right away. More and more people are not doing it anymore, with no complications. So its your personal choice. I just would not wait if you kno that you are going to have it done.And about somebody saying it should be illegal or something. Im glad that its not or else my son would be in 24 hrs a day in pain and not being able to urinate keep getting bladder infections cause he cant pee because of the pain.And for somebody to say they wouldnt get it done under any circumstance. So you would rather your son bee in pain every day or fix the problem and have them be in pain for a wee and then go away completely.Dont wana argue I was just saying. Well Cielo its your child and your choice, good luc with the new baby!!! :)

Personally I don't believe circumcision at birth is necessary. I don't believe putting a child through it actually holds any benefit. If it is for religious reasons then you have to decide what is right for you, so long as a boy is taught to wash & clean himself properly at the appropriate age then it is an unnecessary surgery. Some children need it doing for medical reasons & that is of course something entirely seperate.Hugs

If you are going to do it, do it at birth!!!! My OB nor our peditrician performed circumcisions so we had to wait until our son was about 1 week old. I chose to wait in the waiting room and I could hear him screaming all the way down the hallway. I definitely would suggest having it done it the hospital before you even bring him home if that is an option.

I had both my sons circumsized at birth. I am not giving reasons for it. I have read enough debate for pros and cons on this thread, to keep my answer as short as possible. My sons didn't show that they were in much pain, and they do not remember it being done.

Circumcision is medically unecessary, the AAP confirms this. It is SOLELY up to your choice on whether or not to have this medically unecessary but insanely painful procedure done to your child. I've always thought it was a bit hypocrital that so many mothers advocate circumcising their sons (when there is NO medical reason for doing so) while they would never in a million years let someone so much as prick their daughter's genitals.

It is a very common practice, they offer it in any hospital, or if you are jewish you can have a rabbi do it. If you have it done DO it at birth, the can use a numbing lotion on the baby and it heals very fast. Once they get a bit older it would traumatize them. My pediatrition recomended it be done to stem the infections that can be caused by improper care. It's a matter of choice really. There is nothing wrong with it either way. Contrary to popular belief it is more common to have it done, it is not "ungodly" to do it, and it is perfectly safe. The infections tend to come later in life when the teenage boy refuses to shower and the foreskin sticks to the head. If you choose not to do it just keep up the cleaning of it and make sure he knows what can happen if he does not keep it clean. (my cousin had to have the foreskin pulled away by the dr and it was swollen and painfull for several weeks, antibiotics were given and he had a lot of trouble peeing). I hope this helps. Personally I would speak to the dr and see what he recomends.

I too find this whole conversation quite amusing! I've been laughing through all the posts! I mean, either you do or you don't, but do we really have to come up with such silly reasonings? I love the I'm doing it because everyone else is doing it reason- LOL!! Isn't that exactly what as mothers we tell our children Not to do?? Ok, so if everyone else was throwing their baby off a bridge, would you? LOLwhatever- either you do it or you don't. But if you're dead set on doing it, the earlier the better. And that was really the original question.

I don't know what part of the world this circumcision was done in but it is not done like that today; they put you out(my son was 8yrs. old) Medically it had to be done and should have been done when he was much younger!

If you want to have your son circumcised and wasn't able to do it at birth, pre-school age is NOT a good idea. I would strongly suggest taht you wait until he's old enough to understand what's going on and how to properly take care of himself after the operation. In my country, it's done at birth or at 9 years old onwards. It can be done in a hospital, in very sterile conditions, using anesthetics and laser for a bloodless operation. Our decisions are based on the culture we live in. I believe we are all adults here and respect each other's beliefs. I hope this helps. God bless...

Ugh.. so much ignorance. All babies deserve genital autonomy. That means that unless medically-indicated, you have no right to circumcise ANYONE!!

As for being unable to respect other mothers' choices, I'm sorry but that doesn't apply here as far as I'm concerned. This isn't a simply case of what you feed your baby, or whether you cosleep or not. This is about chopping off a fully-functioning body part with no consent from the patient. It is about exposing newborn boys to excruciating pain, and me to less-than sex lives. I feel no need to respect another mother's choice to inflict that on her son.

And I'd just like to reiterate the fact that circ rates have been dwindling here in Australia over the last 2 decades or so. The vast majority of doctors refuse to perform the procedure, and see it for the unnecessary cosmetic procedure that it is.

ha ha...uncirced is ugly? Did I seriously see that somewhere in these posts? Have you taken a look at a guys scrotum lately? Those things are pretty strange looking too since we're all worried about looks here. I don't see people chopping those off though!

I must say I found some of these posts truly hilarious! Thanks for the laugh ladies!

I have four nephews and none of them had a circ. They are 20, 18, 6 and 1 all completely healthy and fine. My dad, hubby, BIL and FIL are all uncircumsised as well. No problems for any of them. As the wife I can honestly say that the state of my hubbies penis had no baring on whether or not I would date or marry him. I did not do a penis check at our first meeting. :D

Many consider male circumcision a human rights violation (whose body, whose rights, whose penis?) as it is permanent and can not be undone. Many adult men are now suing the doctors for destroying 1/3 of their penis - which 80% of males in the world (yes, only about 15-20% of the world's males are circumcised) consider the best part of the penis, as it is the most sensitive. Many baby boomers in America now have erectile dysfunctions and other penile problems because of circumcision. Please educate yourselves about circumcision by going to

www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org

and

www.noharmm.org

And here are the medical reasons (and God-given reasons) to be intact as God planned:

The foreskin has numerous protective, sensory, and sexual functions.

· Protection: Just as the eyelids protect the eyes, the foreskin protects the glans and keeps its surface soft, moist, and sensitive. It also maintains optimal warmth, pH balance, and cleanliness. The glans itself contains no sebaceous glands-glands that produce the sebum, or oil, that moisturizes our skin.11 The foreskin produces the sebum that maintains proper health of the surface of the glans.

· Immunological Defense: The mucous membranes that line all body orifices are the body's first line of immunological defense. Glands in the foreskin produce antibacterial and antiviral proteins such as lysozyme.12 Lysozyme is also found in tears and mother's milk. Specialized epithelial Langerhans cells, an immune system component, abound in the foreskin's outer surface.13 Plasma cells in the foreskin's mucosal lining secrete immunoglobulins, antibodies that defend against infection.14

· Erogenous Sensitivity: The foreskin is as sensitive as the fingertips or the lips of the mouth. It contains a richer variety and greater concentration of specialized nerve receptors than any other part of the penis.15 These specialized nerve endings can discern motion, subtle changes in temperature, and fine gradations of texture.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

· Coverage During Erection: As it becomes erect, the penile shaft becomes thicker and longer. The double-layered foreskin provides the skin necessary to accommodate the expanded organ and to allow the penile skin to glide freely, smoothly, and pleasurably over the shaft and glans.

· Self-Stimulating Sexual Functions: The foreskin's double-layered sheath enables the penile shaft skin to glide back and forth over the penile shaft. The foreskin can normally be slipped all the way, or almost all the way, back to the base of the penis, and also slipped forward beyond the glans. This wide range of motion is the mechanism by which the penis and the orgasmic triggers in the foreskin, frenulum, and glans are stimulated.

· Sexual Functions in Intercourse: One of the foreskin's functions is to facilitate smooth, gentle movement between the mucosal surfaces of the two partners during intercourse. The foreskin enables the penis to slip in and out of the vagina nonabrasively inside its own slick sheath of self-lubricating, movable skin. The female is thus stimulated by moving pressure rather than by friction only, as when the male's foreskin is missing.

· The foreskin fosters intimacy between the two partners by enveloping the glans and maintaining it as an internal organ. The sexual experience is enhanced when the foreskin slips back to allow the male's internal organ, the glans, to meet the female's internal organ, the cervix-a moment of supreme intimacy and beauty.

I just thought to myself - Why is illegal to crop a dogs tail or ears but it's ok to chop a humans penis? If people chopped dog's penis it would be animal cruelty, yet it's ok to do it to a child. How messed up and really degrading to that poor child.

“his first diaper change after, he let out a blood curdling scream....and every diaper change after that for the next day or so....” - Kristal Vela-Esparza

Even though your son was in so much pain he was screaming every time you changed his nappy, you would still recommend for someone else to do it to their child – that’s sick. If my child stood on a prickle bush and screamed in pain I wouldn’t tell other parents it’s ok to walk through that bush, its child abuse.

Circumcise at birth....i didn't see them do it to my son but his first diaper change after, he let out a blood curdling scream....and every diaper change after that for the next day or so....but afterwards he was just fine and dandy:) now he's happy and diaper changes couldn't be easier

I don't have any boys but I have 5 nephews and only one of them wasn't circumcised and now the doctors wont do it till he is old enough to consent. So just take that into consideration before you decide to wait

Why don't you wait until he is old enough to make the decision for himself? Do you really have that right? It is a completely unnecessary procedure. Maybe he doesn't want it. He can decide for himself when he is old enough to make a conscious decision.

The fact that some of you are encouraging circumcision because the other kids are going to laugh at him is pretty disturbing! Don't base your decision on something as petty as bathroom talk! Besides, as a lot of you have already mentioned, the trend now is to NOT circumcise, so if your worried about him being "different" than every one else then you probably shouldn't.

The decision is totally yours to make, however, there is no medical reason to do it, most doctors will not do it anymore (which should indicate to some of you today's "new" trend), and YES ... the babies do feel the pain, but NO they will not remember it.

Oh I say do it and do it at birth. I have 2 boys and neither cried and its healed perfectly. Actually, they used the bell method and there was no cutting involved. Here's what I will tell you, I am a teacher and kids in the locker room do talk about it-and tease the kids who aren't. And girls talk about it too. And quite frankly, you do have to wash it well if you're not and it can cause problems. Good luck.

No , i would never entertain the idea , personally i like my children intact and whole .

In Australia it is considered by most medical professionals as cosmetic surgery and is NOT recommended both here and by the world health organization , all reasons doctors give to circumcise are over hyped myths they use to rake in the dollars for an archaic and barbaric practice .

Infection is mainly caused by parents who wrongly retract the foreskin before its ready and girls are twice as likely to get a UTI than boys , There are now cases here where men are suing doctors for removing their foreskin at birth without their consent and they are WINNING !!

Not to mention the poorer quality of sexual sensation from removing the foreskin , it is their to protect and when removed the penis becomes desensitized .

Babies do feel the pain , in fact they feel it more you can find some pretty horrifying videos and blogs from nurses who have witnessed it .

And i do know a man who had a circumcision at 30 for Phimosis he was fine , it hurt at first , he recovered quickly and took his meds just like any other surgery , big boys can handle it just like anyone else who needs surgery , unless its medically necessary LEAVE IT ALONE .

I agree Sunny, I'm from OZ too and it's odd if a guy is done here. They don't even offer it in most hospitals here, I think you have to have it done in a private hospital as cosmetic surgery. My husband would of been pissed off too and I would never do it to my sons, gross.

Edited to add later: Oh and by the way I've dated lots of guys that have not been circumcised and one guy that had been and when I asked that one guy he said he really wished he was never circumcised, he really hated it, he said it didn't feel right and it actually felt like he was missing out on something when he was having sex. All the other guys that were never chopped said they wouldn't have it any other way, they loved beening whole. (haha I was going to write they loved their penis, too right!)

Well im in Oz and we never even discussed having it done. My partner isn't none of our friends are and none of the children in my sons playgroup are. He is 3 has never had a problem, my partner said he would have been really pissed off if his parents had him done. It causes loss of nerves and sensation. You dont pull the foreskin back when they are a baby either it comes back on its own at around 4 years old. Honestly it's just like keeping anything else clean. Over here a boy who has it done will be the odd one out, not the other way around.

For all those people that are saying that circumcision reduces infection then why don't we remove the girls sexual organs, they can get infected too, while we're at it remove the ears and eyes too. It's not hard to teach your children how to clean themselves. And that bulls**t about getting a girlfriend is easier, a lot of girls including me think circumcised penises are ugly. America is the only country in the world except for third world countries that has a higher percentage of circumcised boys then not. And for being differant from your classmates, I don't know how your school works but where I'm from everybody wears clothes, they don't stand around naked with there bits hanging out for everyone to see. If your worried that anyone is going to see your boys penis then why don't you just get all boys to have surgery to make their penis exactly the same size and shape as everyone else just in case he gets picked on. And all the girls should have surgery to make their genitals look the same and their breasts and nipples all the same size and shape. I like my children to think it's ok to be differant and everybody is differant. I don't think it's ok to make them think they have to be exactly the same as everyone else and it's wrong to be differant.

Why would you want to circumcise him anyway unless it's a medical reason? I hope your not just doing it because you want to because no matter what age it will hurt and I hate it when people hurt their child on purpose just because they wanted to (if it's for religious reason where does it say in any religious book that you should chop part of a boys penis off? And if it does why would you ever wnat to be part of religion where it promotes harm to anyone let alone your own child?) If it's for medical reason thats another matter though in which you should do it straight away.

Edited to add later: BTW when I talk about medical reason I mean the foreskin being to tight over the head, perhaps causing pain, tearing and bleeding, NOT just because maybe it might cause an infection one day.

I have 3 boys and didn't circumcise any of them....I have no regrets. I figure that its something they will decide when and if they ever notice. They are 15,12 & 9 and haven't complained so far.....just teach them good cleaning habits.

@Erin... I am in Canada and both my boys were done with no medical/religious reason. I recently talked to my Doctor about it, as we have moved from AB to SK and it can still be done electively here too.

It is just part of our culture. It wasn't even a question in my mind we signed the papers to have it done the minute they were born it was done the next morning. They don't know any differently and I just asked my boys and they are so thankful to have it done. They said they wouldn't want to be different than all there classmates. It will also make it so much easier to have a girlfriend when they are older.

I'm with you on this one Lisa M. I rarely pulled my sons foreskin back and never had a problem. They were born that way and long before circumcision. They don't do it in Europe. Teaching them how to clean it like any other part of the body is just common sense. As for being like other what about girls. They don't have big boobs like their class mates , do we put them under the knife for that too? Teach the kids everyone is different in their own ways.

Well medically my son had to get it done because he was born with a slit and as he got older he had problems and was in pain! In Canada they will not do it unless medically! If he never had a medical problem I would not have done it! God loves me and my son and he would not want to see him in pain!

Today they don't do circumcision any more unless medical or jewish! If you can get it done get it done now, my son was 8 when he had it and my doctor said the Pediatrician should have done it years ago! Medically we were told he would have to get it done! He was wetting the bed a lot and having accidents from time to time at home and after the circumcision he never wet the bed again!

Hey, I had my son circumsized when he was a day old, I was standing there playing with him when they did it, no pain meds or anything, and he didn't even cry. He acted like he didn't feel it, and in my opinion, if you are going to get it done, do it at birth. And for those bashing circumcision, just give the facts, or your opinion, not your opinion AS facts. It has always been and always will be controversial, so Cielo, do whatever you think is best for your son. : )

Circumcision is cultural (and religious) and although the majority of american boys are circumcised, there are growing numbers that are not. Also, it depends on where you live- more urban areas by definition have greater diversity. As far as worrying about kids getting picked on, seriously all kids are picked on. You can't shelter your child from rude people. And all pre-teens/teens are uncomfortable about their bodies. I'm not about to advocate cosmetic surgery to help kids with their body image- seems like a slippery slope to me. Having seen both 'done' and 'undone' live and in living color i can say that it cerrtainly didn't seem like a hindrance to him! LOL And from my understanding the majority of the nerves are located there, so for adult men, sex is more pleasurable with foreskin. I know we don't like to think about that as parents, but they will grow up and have sex. Then again, I've never met any men that disliked sex, so...?